Ball lightning mystery solved

CSIRO

Share on print The globe of light that seems to pass through glass lasts up to 20 seconds and occurs when a stream of ions accumulates on one side of a window. Image: [dmodly]/iStockphoto Sightings of ball lightning have been made for centuries worldwide – usually, the size of a grapefruit and lasting up to twenty seconds – but no explanation of how it occurs has been universally accepted by science. In a paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres entitled "The Birth of Ball Lightning" CSIRO and Australia National University scientists present a new mathematical theory which explains how and why it occurs. The new theory focuses on how ball lightning occurs in houses and aeroplanes – and how it can pass through glass. Previous competing theories have cited microwave radiation from thunderclouds, oxidising aerosols, nuclear energy, dark matter, antimatter, and even black holes as possible causes. CSIRO scientist John Lowke's new theory focuses on how ball lightning occurs in houses and aeroplanes – and how it can pass through glass. His theory also proposes that ball lightning is caused when leftover ions (electric energy), which are very dense, are swept to the ground following a lightning strike. "A crucial proof of any theory of ball lightning would be if the theory could be used to make ball lightning. This is the first paper which gives a mathematical solution explaining the birth or initiation of ball lighting," says Lowke. Lowke proposes that ball lightning occurs in houses and aeroplanes when a stream of ions accumulates outside a glass window, and the resulting electric field on the other side excites air molecules to form a ball discharge. The discharge requires a driving electric field of about a million volts. "Other theories have suggested ball lightning is created by slowly burning particles of silicon formed in a lightning strike, but this is flawed. One of the ball lightning observations cited in this paper occurred when there was no thunderstorm and was driven by ions from the aircraft radar operated at maximum power during a dense fog." Lowke used eye-witness accounts of ball lightning by two former US Air Force pilots to verify the theory. Former US Air Force lieutenant Don Smith recalls: "After flying for about 15 minutes, there developed on the randome (radar cover) two horns of Saint Elmo's fire. It looked as if the aeroplane now had bull's horns...they were glowing with the blue of electricity." Lowke's paper gives the first mathematical solution explaining the birth or initiation of ball lightning using standard equations for the motion of electrons and ions. He argues it is unique because it not only explains the birth of the ball but also how it can form on glass and appear to pass through glass resulting in globes of light in people's homes or in aeroplane cockpits. Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.

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Einstein's theory overtakes light speed

THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

Share on print While there is still no strong evidence that anything can move faster than the speed of light, neutrinos at CERN may have done so, and the scientists felt it was time to expand Einstein's theory. Image: Wikipedia University of Adelaide applied mathematicians have extended Einstein's theory of special relativity to work beyond the speed of light. Einstein's theory holds that nothing could move faster than the speed of light, but Professor Jim Hill and Dr Barry Cox in the University's School of Mathematical Sciences have developed new formulas that allow for travel beyond this limit. Einstein's theory of special relativity was published in 1905 and explains how motion and speed is always relative to the observer's frame of reference. The theory connects measurements of the same physical incident viewed from these different points in a way that depends on the relative velocity of the two observers. "Since the introduction of special relativity there has been much speculation as to whether or not it might be possible to travel faster than the speed of light, noting that there is no substantial evidence to suggest that this is presently feasible with any existing transportation mechanisms," said Professor Hill. "About this time last year, experiments at CERN, the European centre for particle physics in Switzerland, suggested that perhaps neutrinos could be accelerated just a very small amount faster than the speed of light; at this point we started to think about how to deal with the issues from both a mathematical and physical perspective. "Questions have since been raised over the experimental results but we were already well on our way to successfully formulating a theory of special relativity, applicable to relative velocities in excess of the speed of light. "Our approach is a natural and logical extension of the Einstein Theory of Special Relativity, and produces anticipated formulae without the need for imaginary numbers or complicated physics." The research has been published in the prestigious Proceedings of the Royal Society A in a paper, 'Einstein's special relativity beyond the speed of light'. Their formulas extend special relativity to a situation where the relative velocity can be infinite, and can be used to describe motion at speeds faster than light. "We are mathematicians, not physicists, so we've approached this problem from a theoretical mathematical perspective," said Dr Cox. "Should it, however, be proven that motion faster than light is possible, then that would be game changing. "Our paper doesn't try and explain how this could be achieved, just how equations of motion might operate in such regimes." Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.